CLEVELAND, Sporting Alert – The Cleveland Cavaliers buried 25 3-pointers to set an NBA Playoffs and season record for most 3s made in a single game, during their 123-98 win over the Atlanta Hawks and take a 2-0 series lead. If the three-pointers stop falling for Cleveland and start going in for Atlanta, the Hawks might have a chance to match the Cavaliers’ offense.
Advertisement
Atlanta Hawks players watch from the bench in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game 2 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Cleveland. “This league has seen so many great teams, so many great players, so many great shooters and things of that nature”.
Ten out of thirteen players who saw action for the Cavs were able to hit at least one three-point shot.
By halftime, the Cavs were up by 36 and within three 3-pointers of the postseason record of 21 set by the Warriors on April 24. The Hawks tested the Cavs in Game 1.
“If they shoot the ball like that I don’t know if anyone can beat them, to be honest”, said three-point specialist Kyle Korver.
For good measure, they went on to break the league record for 3-pointers in any game. Budenholzer chose to rest his starters for most of the fourth quarter in what was a lost cause.
Hawks forward Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 16 points and 11 rebounds. On Wednesday, Cleveland had 15 three pointers by the second quarter. LeBron James has played like the LeBron James we’ve seen in the playoffs over the course of his career; Kyrie Irving has been in a groove on the offensive end; J.R. Smith can’t miss from three; and Tristan Thompson has wrecked havoc on the Hawks’ frontcourt.
“If you take away their 3’s we’re right in this.” the Hawks tweeted.
“When he’s making shots, it becomes contagious”, said Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said of Smith. Clearly chasing the record book, Dahntay Jones sank his teams 24th 3 with 2 1-2 minutes left, and Mo Williams poured salt in Atlantas wounds by knocking down another. James is the most unsafe when he’s hitting outside shots, which seems like a dumb thing to type because all players are most risky when they can do that, but you get what I’m saying.
The best-of-seven series shifts to Atlanta tomorrow (HK time) for Game Three. “We got guys that can knock down shots from the perimeter and it’s been key to our success, but we have to continue to understand that we have to be very balanced offensively”. “We don’t want to be labeled that”, James said. Schroder’s aggressive scoring effort allowed the Hawks push back late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, where Atlanta eventually regained a short lead.
Advertisement
At that point even the Hawks were done. J.R. Smith made seven and LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each sank four.
